LOOKING forward to playing a major role in shaping the future of Crewe and Nantwich is the new chief executive of the borough council Paul Ancell.

The 52-year-old, who has stepped up from the job as director of planning and the environment, now controls an 800-strong workforce paid for through Council Tax.

He heads up Paid Services - all the people who work for the council from refuse collectors and street cleaners to legal, finance, leisure and every office worker at Municipal Buildings and Delamere House.

He will help steer the borough through major changes over the next few years from the huge development scheme planned for Crewe town centre to the promised revamp of Crewe Railway Station.

A married man, with two sons, he admits much of the leg-work has already been achieved, but has promised not to rest on his laurels when it comes to delivering services people really care about.

One of these is the environment and he says he is committed to schemes which will help improve the look of neighbourhoods - even if it means reshuffling staff to boost frontline services such as street cleaning.

He says: 'People want to see where their Council Tax is being spent and the one thing they really care about is their neighbourhood. They want it safe, secure and well looked after. That's what I aim to deliver.'

With his background in the planning, Mr Ancell is taking a special interest in the £200m redevelopment of Crewe town centre.

'We are lucky in that we have a developer, Modus, which is committed to delivering this scheme and is about to sign a development brief with us committing both sides to the scheme.

'Rome wasn't built in a day and it could take another year before we see any major groundwork taking place but this is the closest Crewe has been to real change.

'And it can be done. The Phoenix Leisure Park is testimony to that.

'Yet there are still areas we are concerned about, such as the West End, and High Street, which seems to have missed out on regeneration and these will need special attention.

'So, too, will the rural areas of Nantwich. While the town remains a gem, there are outlying villages which have problems with affordable housing and transport. We can't ignore their needs to focus all the attention on Crewe.'